System and Method for Encoding Standard-Formatted Images with Information

ABSTRACT

System and method for encoding standard-formatted images with information including, but not limited to, geospatial information. This information, possibly in mark-up language format, can be quickly accessed and used to modify the image to which it is appended, or it can be ignored because the image itself remains unchanged.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

None

BACKGROUND

Systems and methods disclosed herein relate generally to augmentingexisting standard-formatted images. Standard image formats such as PNG,JPEG, and others are widely used, but there is no standard way, orsometimes no way, to attach information to those kinds of files, andtherefore no standard way to process any attached information, if any.These formats have some ability to store image metadata, but existingmethods for storing metadata suffer several problems. First, they areformat-specific, for example, a method for attaching metadata to a JPEGfile is different from a method for attaching metadata to a PNG file.Second, existing methods do not specifically allow for addition ofgeospatial metadata. Third, existing methods embed metadata within thestructure of the image in varying positions based on image format. Forexample, the GeoTIFF format adds rich geospatial tags to standard TIFFimages. However, TIFF images are not as widely used as JPEGs and PNGs.Also, GeoTIFF tags do not support the full expressiveness offered by anextensible mark-up language, for example, but not limited to, XML.

What is needed is a system in which images could be encoded withinimages, images could be signed digitally, change history could beencoded, and image labels and other annotations could be encoded alongwith the image. These capabilities exist for PDF documents, but not forother formats and not in a way that can be processed in a standard way.

SUMMARY

The system and method of the present embodiment address the needs ofencoding standard-formatted images with information, for example, butnot limited to, geospatial information. The system and method of thepresent embodiment allow geospatial information, such as mapcoordinates, scale, projection, datum, and others to be attached tostandard-formatted images such as, for example, but not limited to, PNG,TIFF, BMP, GIF, JPEG, and many other image types. This enables thestandard-formatted images to be shown in geospatial information systemsas map images, while preserving their compatibility with other systemslike web browsers and mobile phones.

The system and method of the present embodiment provide for attachinginformation to any image, regardless of format, in a way that can beprocessed with the same computer code by any reader, regardless of theformat of the standard-formatted image. The structure of the new formatallows the standard-formatted image to be readable in the current way aswell as by technology that could make use of the attached information.Adding data to the end of a standard-formatted image file preservescompatibility with all known image readers. Finalizing the additionaldata with a special tag allows computer code to quickly determine if theadditional data are present. Including the size of the attachedinformation, perhaps formatted in XML format, allows computer code toquickly retrieve the attached information. The XML format itselfprovides a rich, extensible set of capabilities for example, but notlimited to, embedding thumbnail or alternative images of thestandard-format image, encoding digital signature information, providingdocument change history, and providing labels and annotations for thestandard-format image. The user can also define data specific to theparticular standard-format image.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a pictorial representation of the data structure of the imageof the present embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of one embodiment of the system ofthe present teachings; and

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the method of one embodiment of the presentteachings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The problems set forth above as well as further and other problems aresolved by the present teachings. These solutions and other advantagesare achieved by the various embodiments of the teachings describedherein below.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the system and method of the present embodimentadd a mark-up language document to the end of any standard image formatby using modified format 20. The system and method of the presentembodiment create, for example, but not limited to, an XML schemadocument that outlines the proper, but extensible, structure of the XMLdocuments that can be appended to image files. Standard image format 11is image data in a standard format such as, for example, but not limitedto, PNG, TIFF, BMP, GIF, JPEG, and any other image format. Standardimage format 11 is exactly as any standard image would be, the internalsare unchanged. Following standard image format 11 is mark-up languagedocument 13 encoded as bytes, followed by document size 15 in bytes.Mark-up language document 13 can include, for example, but not limitedto, print-related information, such as, for example, but not limited to,the trimming bounds for a printed image, and the Dots Per Inch (DPI) ofthe printed image. Mark-up language document 13 can also includeinformation about the collection of the image, for example, but notlimited to, the camera model, the satellite model, and the time and dateof image capture. Still further, mark-up language document 13 caninclude the classification markings for the image. Attaching documentsize 15 to the image file allows quick retrieval of the size of mark-uplanguage document 13. Magic number 17, eight bytes long and can be anynumber, follows document size 15. It is a tag indicating that a recordhas been added.

Referring now to FIG. 2, system 100 for encoding standard-formattedimages 113 with associated information 112 can include, but is notlimited to including, image accessor 101 automatically accessingstandard-formatted image 113 from, for example, but not limited to,image database 131 through, for example, but not limited to, electroniccommunications 133. System 100 can also include information receiver 102automatically receiving information 112 associated withstandard-formatted image 113 from, for example, but not limited to, userinput or information database 135 through, for example, but not limitedto, electronic communications 133. System 100 can still further includeformatter 103 automatically formatting information 112 into formattedinformation 115 which is formatted according to a mark-up language, andsizer 107 automatically computing size 116 of formatted information 115.System 100 can also include image modifier 105 automatically creatingencoded standard-formatted image 125 by concatenating formattedinformation 115, size 116, and a tag onto standard-formatted image 113.Image modifier 105 can optionally provide encoded image 125 to, forexample, but not limited to, image display 139 or stored images 137through, for example, but not limited to, electronic communications 133.Information 112 can optionally include geospatial information, a digitalsignature, or document change history. The mark-up language canoptionally be XML. The standard-formatted image can optionally be, forexample, but not limited to, a JPEG image, a PNG image, a TIFF image, aBMP image, a GIF image, or any other image type. The tag can optionallyinclude eight bytes.

Referring now to FIG. 3, method 150 for encoding standard-formattedimages with associated information can include, but is not limited toincluding, the steps of automatically accessing 151 a standard-formattedimage, automatically receiving 153 information associated with thestandard-formatted image, automatically formatting 155 the informationinto a mark-up language, automatically computing 157 the size of theformatted information, and automatically creating 159 the encodedstandard-formatted image by concatenating the formatted information, thesize, and a tag onto the standard-formatted image. The information canoptionally include geospatial information, at least one digitalsignature, and document change history. The mark-up language can be, forexample, but not limited to, XML. The standard-formatted image can be,for example, but not limited to, a JPEG image, a PNG image, a TIFFimage, a BMP image, a GIF image, or any other image type. The tag canoptionally include, for example, eight bytes.

Embodiments of the present teachings are directed to computer systemsfor accomplishing the methods discussed in the description herein, andto computer readable media containing programs for accomplishing thesemethods. The raw data and results can be stored for future retrieval andprocessing, printed, displayed, transferred to another computer, and/ortransferred elsewhere. Communications links can be wired or wireless,for example, using cellular communication systems, militarycommunications systems, and satellite communications systems. In anexemplary embodiment, the software for the system is written in FORTRANand C. The system operates on a computer having a variable number ofCPUs. Other alternative computer platforms can be used. The operatingsystem can be, for example, but is not limited to, WINDOWS® or LINUX®.

The present embodiment is also directed to software for accomplishingthe methods discussed herein, and computer readable media storingsoftware for accomplishing these methods. The various modules describedherein can be accomplished on the same CPU, or can be accomplished on adifferent computer. In compliance with the statute, the presentembodiment has been described in language more or less specific as tostructural and methodical features. It is to be understood, however,that the present embodiment is not limited to the specific featuresshown and described, since the means herein disclosed comprise preferredforms of putting the present embodiment into effect.

Referring again primarily to FIG. 3, method 150 can be, in whole or inpart, implemented electronically. Signals representing actions taken byelements of system 100 (FIG. 2) and other disclosed embodiments cantravel over at least one live communications network and/or throughelectronic communications 133 (FIG. 2). Control and data information canbe electronically executed and stored on at least one computer-readablemedium. The system can be implemented to execute on at least onecomputer node 114 (FIG. 2) in at least one live communications networkand/or through electronic communications 133 (FIG. 2). Common forms ofat least one computer-readable medium can include, for example, but notbe limited to, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, a hard disk, magnetictape, or any other magnetic medium, a compact disk read only memory orany other optical medium, punched cards, paper tape, or any otherphysical medium with patterns of holes, a random access memory, aprogrammable read only memory, and erasable programmable read onlymemory (EPROM), a Flash EPROM, or any other memory chip or cartridge, orany other medium from which a computer can read. Further, the at leastone computer readable medium can contain images in any form including,but not limited to, Graphic Interchange Format (GIF), Joint PhotographicExperts Group (JPEG), Portable Network Graphics (PNG), Scalable VectorGraphics (SVG), and Tagged Image File Format (TIFF).

The invention has been described with reference to certain embodiments.It will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to theembodiments discussed above, and that modification and variations arepossible within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An automatic method for encodingstandard-formatted images with associated information comprising thesteps of: automatically accessing a standard-formatted image;automatically receiving information associated with thestandard-formatted image; automatically formatting the information intoa mark-up language; automatically computing the size of the formattedinformation; and automatically creating the encoded standard-formattedimage by concatenating the formatted information, the size, and a tagonto the standard-formatted image.
 2. The method as in claim 1 whereinthe information comprises geospatial information.
 3. The method as inclaim 1 wherein the information comprises a digital signature.
 4. Themethod as in claim 1 wherein the information comprises document changehistory.
 5. The method as in claim 1 wherein the mark-up languagecomprises XML.
 6. The method as in claim 1 wherein thestandard-formatted image comprises any of a JPEG image, a PNG image, aTIFF image, a BMP image, a GIF image.
 7. The method as in claim 1wherein the tag comprises eight bytes.
 8. A computer system for encodingstandard-formatted images with associated information comprising: animage accessor automatically accessing a standard-formatted image; aninformation receiver automatically receiving information associated withthe standard-formatted image; a formatter automatically formatting theinformation into a mark-up language; a sizer automatically computing thesize of the formatted information; and an image modifier automaticallycreating the encoded standard-formatted image by concatenating theformatted information, the size, and a tag onto the standard-formattedimage.
 9. The method as in claim 8 wherein the information comprisesgeospatial information.
 10. The method as in claim 8 wherein theinformation comprises a digital signature.
 11. The method as in claim 8wherein the information comprises document change history.
 12. Themethod as in claim 8 wherein the mark-up language comprises XML.
 13. Themethod as in claim 8 wherein the standard-formatted image comprises anyof a JPEG image, a PNG image, a TIFF image, a BMP image, a GIF image.14. The method as in claim 8 wherein the tag comprises eight bytes. 15.A computer method for encoding standard-formatted images with associatedinformation comprising: computer code stored on computer-readable mediaexecuting the steps of automatically accessing a standard-formattedimage; automatically receiving information associated with thestandard-formatted image; automatically formatting the information intoa mark-up language; automatically computing the size of the formattedinformation; and automatically creating the encoded standard-formattedimage by concatenating the formatted information, the size, and a tagonto the standard-formatted image.
 16. The computer system as in claim15 wherein the information is selected from the group consisting of atleast one digital signature and document change history.
 17. Thecomputer system as in claim 15 wherein the mark-up language comprisesXML.
 18. The computer system as in claim 15 wherein thestandard-formatted image comprises any of a JPEG image, a PNG image, aTIFF image, a BMP image, a GIF image.
 19. The computer system as inclaim 15 wherein the tag comprises eight bytes.
 20. The computer systemas in claim 15 wherein the information comprises geospatial information.